Keep your kitchen organized

Here are some things you can do to organize your kitchen better.

Pantry or food shelves: Put like items together, soups in one place, and canned vegetables in another and canned fruits all together, pasta in one place—you get the idea. Everything has its place so when you need it you will save time and easily be able to see what you have. (It just might scream 'take out' pizza night.) If you haven't done this for awhile it is a good idea to make sure the cans or bottles are still good by checking expiration dates and check to see it is bulging. If it is, it is definitely spoiled and you need to get rid of it.

Refrigerator: One way to keep your fridge organized is to keep leftovers in square or rectangle food storage containers, it takes more efficient use of your space.

Snacks: Place them in a basket at a convenient level to grab and go. Or if you have family members that you don't want to get into them, hide them.

Lids: Do you have plastic or glass bowls used for storing left-overs? If the lids are always all over the place, put them in a basket by themselves which makes it easy to match to the bowl and eliminates hunting for the matches. If you keep the lids on the container that takes up a lot of space in your cupboard.

Dishes: Do you have enough room for all you have? Get metal stacking shelves that can double the amount of space in your cupboards. They come in many sizes and there are corner ones as well as straight ones that are adjustable. It is a good time to determine if you like or need all the dishes you have. If you see you never use some as you don't like them or you have too many for your needs or space; then donate to a charity.

Silverware drawer: Place the silverware in a container made for that purpose. Larger serving pieces can be placed next to it. Does your container slide back and forth as you open the drawer? A simple solution is to use sticky Velcro on the underside of the container—works great for bathroom drawers too where containers tend to want to slide about.

Pans: Place the ones you use most frequently toward the front of your shelf . If you have pans with a finish that can be chipped or scratched paper plates between the pans prevents this from happening. Better yet if you can find a place for a pot rack, there are a number of places you can put one, wall mounted, above an island or above the sink. By hanging them you have no problem with finding the right size when you need it.

If you have medicines in the cupboards check their expiration dates and make sure little children can't get into them.

Have vases become squatters under your sink? If they belong in a different place, move them to their home.

If you are looking for a neat way to organize the area around your sink there are several kitchen organizer products out there that will provide a nice solution for this.

Kitchens are often the hub of the home so a well organized one makes everyone happy. While you are waiting for Spring, or if you live where it is already Spring check out those cupboards, take an inventory and Get Organized now.

Choosing Cookware -Which is best?

How to choose a quality cookware set

If you are considering purchasing new cookware, you probably are wondering how to make the most sensible purchase and still get all the pieces and features you need. Price is always a major factor in deciding which cookware set is right for you. Choosing the perfect cookware set involves much more than color and the availability of nifty glass lids that you can see through. If you are a serious cook, or simply want the best deal for the price, you will need to be more practical in making your decision.

The main factor in choosing cookware is the material from which it is made. Copper is very expensive, but conducts heat better than any other material. Heat conduction allows your food to cook evenly. You will undoubtedly find cookware that is constructed from stainless steel with a copper reinforced bottom. The problem with this type of cookware is that the bottom of the food will cook faster than the rest, making it very difficult to avoiding burning and/or scorching your food. Braising is out of the question in a stainless steel pan with a copper reinforced bottom.

You need cookware that allows heat to be distributed evenly. You are probably very familiar with pans that have hot spots. Hot spots are places in the pan where the food cooks disproportionately faster than in the rest of the pan. Cookware with even heat distribution is imperative if you are serious about the food you cook. The problem with copper, cast iron, and aluminum cookware is that certain foods will absorb a metal taste and color from the pans, not to mention you will ingest some of the metal that is transferred to the food. Copper will scratch and discolors easily, but every cook should have at least one copper bowl for beating egg whites. Copper bowls will allow you to beat eggs whites to their maximum volume.

Aluminum is inexpensive, but as mentioned before, will react with certain foods in an unfavorable manner. Aluminum wears down quickly, although there are anodized pans that will cut down on reactivity and increase durability. If you opt for aluminum cookware, anodized is the best choice. Cast iron is good for searing steaks and a few other specialized cooking tasks, but you must keep your cast iron cookware seasoned to avoid sticking and pitting of the pan. Unless you are using an Enamaled Cast Iron Cookware. Enamaled Cast Iron Cookware brings the time lasting features of cooking with cast iron into the present day where color, design, health and cooking ease have become an important part of our lives.

The fact is that there is no perfect cookware. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Stainless steel is probably the best compromise. Stainless steel is in the middle price range and heat conductivity. It is durable and cleans easily and will not react with any type of food you cook. Another good choice is stainless steel with an aluminum insert that goes all the way up the sides of the pan. Or if you want even easier clean up, choose a stainless steel with a good non-stick coating. There are also some Stainless steel Cookware that encorporates tri-ply Stainless steel base with aluminum Heat Core for better heat conduction.

The conclusion would seem to be that in order to get a good set of cookware, you will have to spend some money, but it is not necessary to get the most expensive type. A good stainless steel cookware set with a few special pieces such as a non-stick frying pan, a copper bowl, and any other extras you desire will be your best choice.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Aluminum
	excellent heat conductor	- porous and relatively soft
	- relatively light in weight	- dents and scratches easily
		- difficult to clean
		- stains easily
		- reacts to food
		- oxidizes to a dull gray color
		- warps easily
		- requires a "nonstick" coating
Stainless Steel
	- extremely durable	- poor heat conductor
	- non porous, extremely hard
	- smooth surface, easy to clean
	- dent and scratch resistant
	- does not react to foods
	- easy to maintain mirror finish
Cast Iron
	- relatively low cost	- extremely heavy
	- holds heat longer	- rusts easily if not enameled
		- reacts to food
Copper
	- excellent heat conductor	- relatively high cost
		- reacts to food (toxic with some foods)
		- oxidizes, very difficult to maintain finish
		- dents and scratches easily
		- must be lined with tin, nickel, or stainless steel
Enameled Steel
	- colorful, fashionable	- very poor heat conductor
		- chips easily
		- rusts easily when chipped
Carbon Steel
	- low cost	- very poor heat conductor
		- rusts easily
Glass
	- can be decorated or plain	- extremely poor heat conductor
		- heat resistant if tempered